Rockhound’s Paradise – Quartzsite

If you are into rocks, minerals, fossils, and just all around rockhound than Quartzsite is the place for you! Every year in January, in a sleepy little town just 20 miles east of the Colorado River on I-10, sits a the town of Quartzsite, Arizona. It has been know since the 1960s as the rockhound’s paradise, coming from far and wide across the globe. It has become the mecca to over a million visitors (mostly in RVs) each year during the January through February months; some would say it’s the pre-show to the epic Tucson Gem & Mineral Show in February.

The show is host to over 2,000 vendors specializing in rocks, gems, minerals, fossils and everything else imaginable; creating one of the world's largest open air flea markets in Quartzsite. Eight major gem and mineral shows as well as vendors of raw and handcrafted merchandise peddle their wares to snowbirds, collectors and enthusiasts, making Quartzsite the place to be the first two months of each year.

Historically, a small mining boom revitalized the town as Quartzsite in 1897 and it remained thus until 1965, when the Pow Wow Rock, Gem & Mineral Show began the rockhound winter migration to Quartzsite each year. These days, the population can swell to almost a million during January and February as rockhounders, jewelers and vendors, mostly in thousands of RVs, attend the eight major gem and mineral shows.

Enjoy and have fun at Quartzsite list of shows below.

Show 2011
January 01 - February 28, 2011 Desert Gardens -Gem & Mineral
January 07 - January 16, 2011 Tyson Wells Rock & Gem Show
January 08 - January 23, 2011 Main Event
January 21 - January 30, 2011 Tyson Wells Sell-A-Rama
January 22 - January 30, 2011 Sports, Vacation & RV Show
February 2 -February 6. 2011 Hobby Craft & Gem Show
February 4 - February 13, 2011 Tyson Wells Arts & Craft Fair


The next stop……the “Big Show” Tucson Gem & Mineral Show!!

Fall & Winter Bead Show Season

Football season is starting and cooler temperatures are around the corner; with it comes the fall and winter bead-rock-mineral-fossil show season!! For shows in your area, check with your local paper, hobby/beading store or mineral/rock shop; make sure to check with the show to see if it is wholesale only or open to the public. Those that are wholesale require the buyer to have a business license, state sales tax ID, and business card; so make sure to check out the show before attending so that you won’t be turned down if it’s not open to the public.

The list below is of shows in the surrounding area of San Antonio and Austin; you can check their websites for listings and more information.

Parker Trade Shows

International Gem & Jewelry Show

The Whole Bead ShowAustin Gem & Mineral Show
Fossil Fest / Fossilmania

Looking for shows around the country or in your area? Check out Gem Shows Blog for a very extensive listing of both public and wholesale shows around the country.

Tucson Review Day 3 & 4

Heavy rainstorms, winds and lots cooler temperatures still could not keep the Tucson Tour down! Amidst all the downpours, winds and colder temperatures, it almost did not seem like Arizona, but more like an early February Eastern winter and clearer sky has prevailed on Thursday. Here is the rundown review, again, our opinion and experiences of the shows attended over the past few days.

Our Hits:
Tucson Electric Park RV Show – Everything lapidary describes this show; from slabs, raw materials, beads, equipment, tools and did I mention slabs. It was all there at the RV Park show. This is one of the better shows attended this week and definitely should be on a list if you are in the world of lapidary.

Tucson Electric Park Show – This is open to the public but is a pretty good show if your are looking for anything from jewelry, beads, tools, equipment, gifts, and if you hit the tents behind the big show tent, the world of minerals, fossils and anything goes is vented.

Tucson Gem & Mineral Show – Open to the public, The Big One that started it all, located downtown at the Tucson Convention Center. In a word – WOW! This show offers something for everyone and in our opinion is definitely the daddy of them all. The bigger world of all lapidary, minerals, tools, fossils, and more minerals….dealers, clubs, and everyone in Lapidary from all over the world and United States take over the convention center.

Our Misses:
Grant Inn Show – Aside from one or two vendors, this show just did not have anything that I was looking for nor did it hold up to my expectation of other G&LW shows in the area. The main tent is mostly vendors that have African trades, vintage, massive overpriced beads and trinkets, and jewelry, definitely not our ‘cup of tea’.

Tucson 2010 It’s Almost Here

Just about that time of year again when for the big Tucson show! It’s the biggest event here in the United States; where the quite town of Tucson, Arizona is descended up on by thousands of people. All wanting to see the latest and greatest the jewelry, lapidary and beading industry has to offer. Hundreds of shows with vendors from all over the world bring their beads, findings, minerals, rocks, slabs, equipment, jewelry, and much much more. It’s the event that sets the stage for the coming year in ‘what’s hot and what’s the trend’ in beads, stones, lapidary and jewelry.

Tucson is much more than shows; it’s about the land of opportunity too. Connecting and networking with vendors, miners, artists, instructors, industry professionals; hearing what they have to say and bring it into your own business for success. Listed below are some of the top shows among the many at Tucson.

JOGS Gem & Jewelry Show, the largest and most popular independent jewelry trade show in the Tucson, Arizona area. Wholesale jewelry manufacturers, miners and international dealers gather at the Tucson Expo Center, the site of the JOGS show, every February. Buyer attendance is said to exceed 27,000 composing over 4,000 jewelry firms.

Gem & Lapidary Wholesalers, Inc., (G&LW) hosts about three different shows in the Tucson area. Gem Mall right down the street from Holiday Inn & Holidome Pavilion and also at Grant Inn.

AGTA, American Gem Trade Association is one of the main shows. It is primarily high-end loose colored gemstones and pearls, with finished jewelry; designer jewelry section; colored diamond and estate jewelry pavilions.

Howard Johnson Gem & Mineral Show; for jewelry, silver, minerals, gemstones, lapidary, metaphysical objects/art and beads. They are along the freeway among the many ‘street vendor’ shows.

Madagascar Minerals Gem Show, which is hosted by Norcross-Madagascar Gallery featuring minerals, fossils and other lapidary.

Tucson Electric Park RV Gem Show, is where you’ll find all kinds of hidden treasures in minerals, gems and some jewelry.

Want to know more about shows, vendors, times, places and locations, check with Jewelry Show Guide’s website for more information.

Quartzsite Then Tucson

In a little western town just 20 miles east of the Colorado River on I-10 is home to the town of a rockhound’s paradise since the 1960's, Quartzisite, Arizona. Every year it is home to the biggest small town show reaping more than a million visitors is the Quartzsite show. About 2,000 vendors ranging from rocks, gems, minerals, fossils and everything in-between create one of the world’s largest open air flea markets in little Quartzsite, Arizona. There are eight major gem and mineral shows as well as vendors of raw and handcrafted merchandise selling to customers from snowbirds, collectors, and many rockhounds.

A little history, it was settled in 1856 when Charles Tyson built a fort to protect his water supply from attacks by Native Americas. Fort Tyson soon became a stopover on the Ehrenhurg-to-Prescott stagecoach route. It had become known as Tyson’s Wells by the time the stage stopped running and the town then became abandoned. A small mining boom revitalized the town as Quartzsite in 1897 and it remained until 1965, when the Pow Wow Rock, Gem & Mineral Show began the rockhound winter fever migrations to Quartzsite each year. In these more modern days, the population can swell to almost a million during the January and February rockhound extravaganza.

2010 Calendar of Events
January 01 - February 28, 2010 Desert Gardens-Gem & Mineral Show
January 01 - January 10, 2010 Tyson Wells Rock & Gem Show
January 09 - February 24, 2010 Main Event
January 15 - January 24, 2010 Tyson Wells Sell-A-Rama
January 16 - January 24, 2010 Sports, Vacation & RV Show
January 27 - January 31. 2010 Hobby Craft & Gem Show
January 29 - February 7, 2010 Tyson Wells Arts & Craft Fair
January 20 - January 24, 2010 Annual Pow Wow

Next stop….Tucson!

Tucson 2010 Countdown

The big event is almost here; time to get ready for Tucson 2010!! If you haven’t already made your reservations (plane, hotel, car, etc.), now is the time to do so before you miss out on the biggest event for all gem, mineral, and rock enthusiasts.

Every year, Tucson is host to the United States largest Gem and Mineral show; starting late January and running thru the middle of February. Dealers, wholesalers, and buyers all converge on the small southern Arizona town to discuss, barter, sale, buy, meet & great, and see what is new (and old) in the industry. There are hundreds of shows with thousands of vendors from all over the globe and across the United States, with one thing in common; show what they have and entice us with the newest, latest and greatest.

Some of the following shows are ones that I recommend and do attend. You’ll find a wide selection of finished jewelry, tools, findings, displays, beads, gems, lapidary, and much much more. These shows as most in the Tucson area require wholesale and business industry credentials to get into them. Check with each show’s site to pre-register for many of them, see details and check for dates; as this year, several of the shows do not overlap as in past years.

Street Vendors: This is my favorite place to shop; I’ve gotten some of the most unique and unusual items here. Miles and miles of vendors take over the hotels, parking lots, and anything in-between. Across the street from the freeway, starting at Congress and running all the way down past Freeway Aveune, you can find any type of vendor; beads, findings, silver, raw materials, lapidary, finished products, gemstones, clothes, bags; just to name a few. And best of all, most are open to the public, however check with vendors before purchase to make sure they don’t require a wholesale license.

JOGS: If you’re looking for Amber or Southwest jewelry, this is the place to be. Dealers from around the globe bring the best and finest in Amber and southwest products. The show also hosts many vendors of finished products, collectables, and raw materials. This is a wholesale only show and requires a Tax ID to register and attend.

G&LW (Gem Mall, Holidome, Grants Inn): At many of these shows you can find international dealers and wholesalers; pearls, turquoise, silver/copper, finished products, beads galore, beading findings/products, displays, and much more. This show is a wholesale only and requires Tax ID to register and attend.

China Mountain: If Turquoise is what you are after, then you’ll need to visit the buildings located between Gem Mall and Holidome, where you’ll find the well known vendor China Mountain. Plenty of Turquoise and Coral in all different cuts and styles to chose from. Also a wholesale vendor, but you’ll need to check with them at the site to see if they will sell retail.

Electric Park RV: Though I’ve only attended this one once, I understand it is a great place to get lapidary, rocks, minerals, or slabs; so I’ve added it back onto my list for this year’s trip. Most sell either wholesale or retail so check with each vendor before purchase.

While this is just a hint of what’s at Tucson, there are also many other shows like the AGTA GemFair Tucson, GJX Gem & Jewelry Show, Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, Madagascar Minerals Gem Show, Rio Grande Catalog In Motion and Swarovski Elements-Create Your Style 2010 shows. Several are also offering many of the national instructors for classes and seminars, so check with your favorite instructor or show for schedules and details.

Mark your calendar, make your reservations and start the count-down! Tucson 2010 is just around the corner.

Tucson 2009 A Few Goodies

So if you're still hanging with this week for the Tucson 2009 Preview, thought I would include ‘a few goodies’ on today’s list of shows to ‘make sure to hit’. Though I got to ‘hit’ several of these shows, most I didn’t get to but heard ‘very good things’ about them. Check them out when in Tucson!


Tucson Electric Park Gem & Mineral Show is located at the Tucson Electric Park/Kino Sports Complex opens from Jan. 31-Feb. 15.

Gem Mall which is part of the Gem & Lapidary Wholesale show runs from Jan. 31-Feb. 13.

American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) which is the ‘biggie faceted gems’ show located downtown Tucson at the Tucson Convention Center runs from Feb. 4-9.

GJX Gem & Jewelry Show (GJX) is also located downtown across from the Tucson Convention Center and runs from Feb 4-9.

There are plenty more shows, vendors and exhibits going on all over Tucson, so to get more information and see a complete listing of all shows, dates, times, and vendor websites visit the Jewelry Show Guide or Tucson Show Guide.

Disclaimer: This is an independent product/vendor review based on our own research and experiences. We are in no way affiliated with the company, shows or its agents.

Tucson 2009 Street Vendors

If it’s good weather, one can walk the length of the I10 freeway hotels and shop among miles of street vendors. These vendors take over almost every inch of hotel space/rooms, parking lots and sidewalks, ballrooms and lobbies, and even around the pool and courtyard areas.

Here one will find anything and everything you can image from raw materials cut from the mine, custom cut materials strung for beading, jewelry and gift items, equipment and tool for the beading enthusiast to the professional lapidary, and even see geodes the size of small buildings! There are merchants local to the area, vendors from across the country and many from around the world. Some vendors sell direct to the public while others will only sell wholesale; check with each vendor before purchase to determine if they sell to the public or wholesale only.

Last year, this is where we found a lot of great deals and very unusual gemstones; our resident gemologist added more raw materials for his collect during our Street Vendor day than anything time in Tucson.


For more information on one of the big Street Vendor shows check out the Pueblo Gem & Mineral Show, see their website.
For information on the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show 2009 visit Jewelry Show Guide or Tucson Show Guide.

Tucson 2009: Gem & Lapidary Wholesale Show

The Gem & Lapidary Wholesale Show (G&LW) is another of the ‘big’ shows at Tucson 2009. Held at the Holiday Inn/Holidome from Feb. 5-23, it is for wholesale buyers only with business and jewelry industry credentials. Here you will find just about anything relating to the jewelry industry; from finished products to beading materials, supplies and tons of gemstones and custom cut rough materials.

A sampling of vendors include; Colbaugh Processing Inc., Lucky Gems & Jewelry Ltd., Opex Opal, China Mountain Turquoise Inc., Bead Plus Silver Inc., Cowboy Trading (for Sleeping Beauty Turquoise), Kingdom Trading Company, and Rincon Trading Company (for all kinds of Turquoise).

For more information on the G&LW show, see their website.
For information on the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show 2009 visit Jewelry Show Guide or Tucson Show Guide.

Countdown to Tucson 2009

It is almost here; Tucson 2009 Gem & Mineral Show!! In about a week, millions of people, thousands of vendors and hundreds of shows (most wholesale with a few open to the public) will mark the beginning of the largest show in the United States.







This is the venue to get your stock for the entire year, or even several years if you are one who purchases in bulk. Anything from raw stones (uncut, undrilled, unfinished, unpolished, etc), to finished and raw precious gems (diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds just to name a few), to silver-gold-copper-brass findings and stringing materials, storage containers, tools and equipment, jewelry and gifts, to show displays, bags, and boxes, and all the natural gemstones in cuts and types that are as unusual as the places they come from.


Over the next week I’ll be highlighting some of my favorite vendors and shows that will be at Tucson 2009; so bookmark and check back here all next week for a pre-view of Tucson 2009!


The Countdown Begins……….

Product/Vendor Review: Tucson 2009

The Tucson Gem & Mineral Show 2009 is just a week away. With thousands of vendors and hundreds of shows to choose from; where does one start. While attending Tucson 2008 I got to see and meet some very good vendors. Here is just a sample:

Lucky Gems & Jewelry Factory
Looking for quality and an incredible array of Pearls? Lucky Gems has the largest selection and very competitive pricing I’ve ever come across in the selection of Pearls. Freshwater cultured and even some saltwater pearls where to be found in colors, shapes and sizes that overcome the imitation. Check them out this year at three locations at Tucson 2009; Gem Mall, Quality Inn and the Holidome.

Kameyab Imports Inc.
Quality with large selection of exotic semi-precious gemstones from Peruvian Opals to Larimar, Kameyab has it all. Choose from a collection of pendants to many strands of your favorite gemstones and a huge selection of exotics. Visit them this year at 4 locations at Tucson 2009; JOGS, GLDA, Holidome, and AGTA.

Oriental Crest
Visit the world of many color gemstone beads. Browse through the selection of pearls, natural gemstones, strands and pendants. The JOGS show is their location at Tucson 2009.

Tucson Bead
For a selection of designer beads and unusual cuts in U.S. stones try Tucson Beads. Select from quality stones in Turquoise, Agate, Jasper and some additional unusual stones. Visit them at the Tucson Electric Park RV Gem Show at Tucson 2009.

Disclaimer: This is an independent product/vendor review based on our own research and experiences. We are in no way affiliated with the companys' or their agents.